President Trump rekindled the energy from his campaign Tuesday at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, declaring that he would continue to defy the “fake news” and keep fulfilling the promises he made to the American people.
“Tonight we are going to set aside the cynics and the critics because we know exactly why they are so bitter. Because day after day,” he said, “we are keeping our promises to the people and we are putting — finally, finally, finally — finally we are putting America first.”
He said he came to Youngstown to “cut through the fake news filter” and speak directly to the American people.
The rally with thousands of supporters capped a day in which Mr. Trump enjoyed a rare victory in Congress, with Senate Republicans passing a key motion to open debate on a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare.
Mr. Trump told the crowd that a new health care law was on its way to replace what he called the disaster of Obamacare, although the path forward for the legislation is rife with pitfalls.
The win on health care, however, was overshadowed by Mr. Trump’s repeated attacks on Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the ongoing investigations into Russian election meddling that has bogged down his legislative agenda.
Still, Mr. Trump told the crowd that his agenda was advancing.
“This is the only thing that matters. There is nothing else. Your future is what I am fighting for each and every day,” said the president.
The campaign-style rally organized by Mr. Trump’s re-election campaign closely resembled the rallies from last year’s presidential race.
The crowd chanted “drain the swamp” and “build the wall.”
“Don’t even think about it. We will build the wall,” he reassured the crowd.
Construction of a wall on the Southern border to prevent illegal immigration was a top campaign promise. Funding for the wall has been included in a House spending bill, but the appropriations process is far from complete.
Mr. Trump said that he hadn’t been given credit in the news media for the accomplishments made in his first six months in office.
“I think that with a few exceptions no president has done anything near what we have done in six months, not even close,” he said.
He ticked through a long list of achievements:
• Unemployment hit 16-year low last month;
• The economy added more than 1 million jobs since the election;
• Unemployment among African American teenagers is at the lowest rate since 2000;
• Federal regulations were eliminated at record speed;
• A historic boost in defense spending;
• Passage of the Veterans Accountability Act;
• The U.S. pullout from the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal and the Paris Climate Accord;
• Beginning a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Mr. Trump said he would continue keeping promises, including a enacting a tax cuts, rebuilding the U.S. military and cracking down on illegal immigration.
“We have no choice. We cannot and never will back down. We will never ever give up,” he said. “We cannot fail and if we remember what unites us then I promise you we will not fail.”
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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